Blunt
An English occupational surname for a person who makes or sells blunt instruments or weapons.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,666 Americans carry the last name Blunt. That puts it at #4,259 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.82 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 35,460 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Blunt surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
9.7K
1 in 35,460
Census rank
#4,259
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,326 bearers of the surname Blunt in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.82 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4259th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Blunt, the largest self-reported group is Black at 46.8%. The next largest groups are White (46.1%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Blunt
The surname Blunt originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "blunt," meaning "ruddy complexion" or "light brown hair." The name likely referred to someone with a reddish or fair complexion.
In its earliest forms, the name was recorded as "le Blunt" or "Blund" in various English records and documents from the 12th and 13th centuries. One of the earliest known mentions of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1198, which listed a person named "Gilbertus Blundus."
The Blunt surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Blunt's Green in Oxfordshire and Blount's Farm in Wiltshire. These place names may have originated from individuals bearing the Blunt surname who lived or owned land in those areas.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Blunt surname can be found in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, which documented landowners and tenants in England after the Norman Conquest. The name appeared as "Blundus" in this record.
Throughout history, the Blunt surname has been borne by several notable individuals. One of the earliest was Sir Walter Blunt, a 14th-century English knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War and was present at the Battle of Crécy in 1346. Another prominent figure was Sir Christopher Blunt (1555-1615), an English politician and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
In the 17th century, Henry Blunt (1634-1693) was an English Catholic writer and controversialist who authored several religious works. Later, Edmund Blunt (1770-1862) was a celebrated English navigator and hydrographer who surveyed and charted various regions of the world's oceans.
The Blunt surname also gained prominence in the literary world with the birth of Wilfred Scawen Blunt (1840-1922), an English poet and writer known for his works on Middle Eastern affairs and his involvement in the British colonial administration in India.
While the Blunt surname has its origins in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and descendants of the original bearers of the name. However, its roots can be traced back to the medieval period in England, where it first emerged as a descriptive name associated with physical characteristics and place names.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Blunt
Among Census respondents with the surname Blunt, the largest self-reported group is Black at 46.8%. The next largest groups are White (46.1%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Blunt bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Blunt surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American46.8%
- White46.1%
- Two or more races3.1%
- Hispanic or Latino2.9%
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7%
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4%
Year on year
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Blunt surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,361 | #4,259 | 2.3% |
| Count | 7,526 | 8,326 | 10.6% |
| Per 100K | 2.79 | 2.82 | 1.1% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Blunt bearers went from 7,526 to 8,326 (+10.6% change). The surname moved up 102 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,361 to #4,259.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Blunt
FAQ
Blunt surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Blunt?
The surname Blunt holds position #4,259 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 9,666 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 2.82 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Blunt surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Blunt, the largest self-reported group is Black at 46.8%. The next largest groups are White (46.1%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.